Nevada Senior Linebacker Joshua Mauga has been invited to play in the annual East-West Shrine Game, Head Coach Chris Ault announced Friday.

Mauga, Nevada's leading returning tackler and a candidate for Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, was recently named to the Watch List for the Butkus Award, given annually to the nation's top linebacker. He recorded 82 tackles, including four for a loss, in 2007 despite missing five games with a knee injury.

"This is just a great honor for Joshua and we are very happy for him," Ault said. "We're looking for him to have a strong year for us. He's earned every one of these accolades and he's going to earn some more before the season is over."

This year's game will be played Jan. 17 in Houston, Texas.

Mauga joins a long list of Nevada players who have been invited to the game, including Wide Receiver Nate Burleson, Offensive Lineman Harvey Dahl, Linebacker Jorge Cordova and Quarterback Jeff Rowe.